Chandler rallying behind kindergarten teacher who’s fighting brain cancer

CHANDLER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - A Chandler teacher is fighting brain cancer after she suffered a seizure at school. The woman who’s taught countless children for nearly 20 years is receiving support from her community. It started as any other Friday at Carlson Elementary School for Kim Shuck, or Mrs. Shuck, in her classroom full of kindergartners. “I had trouble concentrating and said, ‘Oh I’m so sorry, Mrs. Shuck needs more coffee’,” said Shuck. “Within the next 10 minutes, things rapidly declined, and I lost control of my left side.”

Knowing something wasn’t right, she was helped to the nurse’s office. Things got worse quickly when the mother of four had a seizure. The nurse and principal of the school were there. “All of a sudden, I see her held up and starting to fall over, and so I happened to walk right in and make her as comfortable as possible,” said Carlson Elementary School principal Andy Morgan. “They kept saying, ‘you’re OK, Kim, keep breathing, you’re having a seizure, you’re OK,” said Shuck.

Doctors told her she had brain cancer. A surgeon removed 99% of the aggressive cancerous tumor. Now, Shuck has to leave her classroom for radiation and chemotherapy treatments. “Unfortunately it is more than just a hiccup. It’s a lot more than the surgery. The longevity is a lot longer than what I had hoped for,” said Shuck. It’s a big loss for Carlson Elementary. “She is just a staple here at Carlson, one of the beacons of bright lights in our profession,” said Morgan. “There is not a better person more equipped to fight and beat cancer.”

That is now Shuck’s assignment, in hopes that she will be able to return to her classroom. “I definitely had a hard couple of days but cancer is something many have beat,” said Shuck. “With the right mindset and backing, you can accomplish a lot.”

Shuck’s friends and colleagues set up a GoFundMe to help her during this time. If you would like to donate, click here.

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